And albert l



(o Model.) .l

W. R. SMITH 8u A. L. WASHBURN.

COIN OPERATED ELECTRICAL WEICHINC SCALE.

Patented Jur-1e 21 We llllllhllll. l l l l Y l l l ll III;

i WMM M .Z iwf/MQ, 7M? @Hom/1 45 ing-springs c c are attached.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.l

VILLIAM R. SMITH, OF BANDERA, TEXAS, AND ALBERT L. WASHBURN, OF NEWYORK, N. Y.; SAID VVASHBURN ASSIGNOR TO SAID' SMITH.

COIN-OPERATED ELECTRICAL WEIGHING-SCALE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,353, dated June 21,1887.

Application filed May 4,1887. Serial No. 237,026. (No model.) Patentedin Belgium December 17, Y1886, No. 75,628; in Spain February 12, 1887,No. 10,436, and in France April 26, 1887, No. 180,332.

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM It. SMITH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Bandera, in the county ofBandera, State of Texas, and ALBERT L. XVAsHBURrna citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricalVeighing-Scales, l'or which io` we have obtained patents in' Belgium,No.

75,628, December 17, 1886; in Spain, No. 10,436, February 12, 1887, andin France, No. 180,832, April 26, 1887,) of which the following is aspecication.

Our invention relates to improvements in weighing-scales, the mechanismof which may be tripped by electricity; and the main object o f ourInvention is to so `arrange the electric circuit that it may be closedfor tripping the indicating mechanism by inserting within the machine acoin or like-shaped metallic disk.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of so muchof a weighingscale as is necessary to show our improvenichts, the frontof the case being removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, thecase being shown in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a detached. sideelevation of parts,with one side removed, illustrating that portionofthe cir- 3o\cu1t which is completed or closed by a'coin; and Fig. 4 is aplan View of the same, the two i latter figures being on an enlargedscale.

Our improvement is adapted for application `to ordinary platformweighing-scales, the platform being mounted upon any ordinary levermechanism for such scales, and therefore we deem it unnecessary toillustrate such ordinary mechanism. Extending from the platform is anupright case, A, within which our 4o mechanism is placed. Extending fromthe lever mechanismiinderneath the platform, and up through the uprightcase, is a rod or suitable connection, a, which is connected with themovable T-shaped frame b, to which the weigh- The upper ends of thesesprings are fastened to a projection from the upper end of the metallicframe B, which frame we secure to the back of the case A in an uprightposition,- as shown. In the middle of this frame is a vertically-slidingrack, f, the teeth of which engage the pinion g,which is attached to thepointer-shaft'h. On the exterior of the case is a suitable dial dividedinto graduations indicating pounds and fractions thereof, and on theouter end of the shaft his a pginter, a', to indicate the proper weight,according to thefallofthe rackf. This rack and pinion are iitted to moveeasily, so that the rack will drop downward of its own weight when itsmovement is not obstructed 6o by some object. At the lower end of thisrack f, and upon the T-shaped frame b, there is a stop in the form of abracket or shelf, 13, which the lower end of the rack may rest upon whenthe springs draw said frame to its uppermost position, or whenever saidframe is in a lower position and the falling of the rack-bar is notprevented by means of the trippinglatch k. This tripping-latch, asshown, is in the form of a pivoted angle-lever, with that partof thelever 7o at the end nearest the magnet G forming an armature for thesame, while the opposite end engages a notch, Z, Fig. 1, in the rack f.This latch is so mounted as to turn easily, and may be provided with alight spring which has a tendency to hold it in engagement with vtherack f, and thereby holdthe indicator at zero or any desired point onthe dial. Close to the body of this latch and upon the frame Gis anelectro-magnet.

To one side of the weighing-springs@ c we place a short section of aclinte, D, the saine being mainly composed of rubber or somenon-conducting material, which material forms the two broadest sides ofsaid chute-section, while the two moving sides of said chute seetion.are formed of metal strips or conductors m a, the latter of which isheld in place by a latch or lever, o, (see Figs. 3 and`4,) so as to makethe chute-section a little less in width 9o than the diameter of a coinof a given size or other metallic disk.

In Fig. 3 one side of the chute-section D is removed in order to showthe interior. The shank of the strip n is fastened in place by the screwp, on which it is pivoted. The strip m is held within the chute-sectionat one end by means of the screw q, and is pivoted thereon, so that byturning the screw r, which bears against one edge of said strip, theWidth of Ico the aperture at the lower end of the chute-section can beadjusted to any desired size of coin or metallic disk. It is evidentthat a strip like m, pivoted loosely at the upper end of the chute andslanting inwardly at the bottom, may, without changing the other parts,be substituted for the spring n, which in substance is the moving sideof the chute. One of the magnet-wires, s, extends through any convenientpart of the case to the screw q. The other magnet-wire, t, extends to abattery, which may be placed in the lower part of the ease or at anyconvenient point therein, while another wire, u, extends from thescrew 1) to said battery, thereby connecting said wires with the stripsm n. Thus it will be seen that when a proper-sized coin-for in stance, ative-cent nickel, 5-is inserted within the chute-section and lodgestherein, as shown in Fig. 3, the metallic strips m and n are connectedand the electric circuit completed or closed, the coin itself becoming apart of the circuit, so that the magnet then withdraws the latch 7s fromthe notch Z in the rack f and permits said rack to fall and rest uponthe frame below, to which the springs are attached.

The chutesection D is designed to be placed at the lower end of anysuitable chute or conductor, E, which leads from an aperture on theoutside of the case to said chute-section. By lifting the outer endofthe swinging` lever o the moving side n is allowed to swing and letthe coin 5 fall from the chute-section D, from which it may fall or beconducted into any proper receptacle. ThisY lever o might be tripped byhand; but we prefer to trip said lever by means of the weighingmechanism.

To the movable T-shaped frame I) we rigidly secure a laterally-extendingarmm, so that said arm will rise and fall with said frame 7). To theframe B we attach by one of its ends a swinging arm, F, at the other endof which is a jointed end, w, provided with a vstop-joint, so that itcannot move beyond a certain point on its pivot when the swinging armFis moved upward, but may be allowed to turn on its pivot freely whenthe arm F is lowered. A person standing on the platformwill depress thelever mechanism, and through the rod a pull the frame b and, its shelfor bracket downward more or less, according to his weight. The latch 7:,engaging the notch Z in the rack, will hold said rack in its elevatedposition,and therefore the pointer .r will not revolve to in dicate thepersons weight upon the dial. In pulling down the frame l) the arm nmoves downward with it and allows the swinging arm -F to fall belowlever o,whieh it trips on its return. In thus falling thejointed end wturns backward on its pivot to pass the end ot' the lever o. Byinserting a nickel in the aperture left in the case for that purpose, itwill pass through the conductor E into the chute-section D and completeor close the circuit through the coins becoming a part thereof, so thatthe magnet will withdraw the latch 7c from the notchl and allow the rackto fall until it is stopped by theshelf or bracket i at the proper pointto indicate, by means of the dial and hand, the correct weight of theperson standing on the platform. Vhen the person steps oft' theplatform, the springs c c raise the frame b to its former position,thereby carrying the laterally-exteuding arm upward, and said arm vcarries the swinging arm -F upward with it, so as to trip the lever oand let the nickel 5 fall from the chute-section, said swinging arm wpassing the end of the lever o and into position for another action, asshown 1n Figs. 2 and 3. At the same time the shelf or bracket i on theframe b carries the rack upward again into its former position, where itis again held in place by the latch k, and the parts are ready forrepeating the operation.

Ve are aware that a prior pat-ent in this and other countries shows aweighing-machine constructed in such a manner that the act of placing acoin in the apparatus will cause the weight then on the scales to beindicated on the dial, the result being accomplished wholly bymechanical devices without the aid of an electric current. Such anapparatus, broadly considered, is hereby diselaimed.

Ve are also aware that other prior patents show devices for registeringtoll and other money, in which a coin or like metallic piece placedwithin a chute operates to trip a mechanical device; and, broadlyconsidered, we do not claim the same.

\Vhile we have shown our mechanism as applied to weighing-scales, we donot wish to limit ourselves to such scales as to all features of ourinvention, because it is evident that some parts of our invention,especially the chute section, can be applied to various mechanicaldevices which may be tripped by electricity.

In this application we do not claim, broadly, the weighing-scales incombination with an electrical releasing device and the indicatingmechanism operated by the scales, such matter forming part of ourapplication, SerialNo. 214,501, for electrical weighing-scales, filedSeptember 25, 1886.

XVhat we do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the chute section adapted to receive a coin orsimilar metallic piece, and having insulated electrical conductors, aweighing-machine having its indicater disconnected from the main portionof the weighing mechanism, a stop on said main portion to limit themovement oi' the indicator when released, a latch for securing saidindicator at the zero-point, and electrical counec tions between saidchute-section and latch, substantially as described, and for the purposespecified.

2. The combination of the chute-section D, having secured thereto amoving side that projects into the path through the chute far enough tostop a coin of a given size, in combination with the latch, the lever o,pivoted to-said chute-section, with one end abutting against the outerface ol` said moving side and locking it against moving in a directionto enlarge the passage through said chute-see IIO tion, substntiaily asdescribed, arid for the In testimony Whereofwe afx oursignatures purposespecied. in presence of two witnesses.

3. The combination of the chuteseetion D, VILLIAM R.' SMITH.

having the movingstrip or side n, the lever o, l fitnesses as to W. R.Smith:

the swinging arm F, having the outer end, WooDBURY LOWERY,

w, pivoted thereto by a stop-joint, the arm fv, M. P. CALLAN.

the movable frame b, to which said arm is ALBERT L VVASHBURN connected,and the Weighing-seules, substan- Witnesses:

tally as described, and for the purpose set GEORGE P, HILL 1o forth. M.W. OoMsTooK.

